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“That’s bullshit,” Barron said.
“It is what it is.”
“It’s still fucking awful. I’m sorry.”
Diesel shrugged, trying not to let that night get to him again. He’d already spent the last week wishing he could crawl into a hole and not come out again.
“I think I’ll be single forever. What’s the male version of a spinster?”
Barron shook his head. “You’ll find someone when the time is right. I believe if a lion chooses to wait for his heart-match then he’ll find her.”
“I think I don’t have a choice but to wait for her.”
Titus opened the door. “Send ‘em in, guys.”
Diesel was glad that they didn’t have to continue their conversation. He hoped that Barron was right, and every lion who decided to wait would eventually find his heart-match, but he wasn’t sure that would happen. He didn’t really want any sympathy, and he didn’t want to talk anymore about the crappy situation.
As if the universe had some kind of twisted sense of humor – which he was beginning to believe it might – not only did Barron find his heart-match that night, but so did Duke. The females in question were human, and the current pride laws stated a pride member couldn’t mate with anyone other than another lion or they’d face exile. He wasn’t psychic, but Diesel was betting that the pride laws would change.
He was happy for his friend and future pride leader. And maybe, if he happened to meet his heart-match and she was a human, he wouldn’t need to leave, either. Although if it came down to it, he would walk away from the pride for his mate. Nothing would ever be more important to him than her – that much he was sure of.
He just didn’t know when he’d ever meet her.
Wherever she was, he hoped she showed up soon.
Chapter Two
Emberly Greer stifled a sneeze as she opened a pouch of espresso, a tiny cloud of coffee puffing up with the motion. She filled the cup and tamped the grounds down, then clicked it into place in the fancy machine at her parents’ coffee shop, Wide Awake. The family business was located in the sleepy little town of Cabot’s Mill, Kentucky, where Emberly had grown up.
She loved working at the shop, even though spending so much time with her parents could be tedious. Especially when her mom asked about potential dates, suggesting in a none-too-quiet voice when a cute guy walked in that he might “be worth dating.” She’d just roll her eyes and smile politely, hoping she wouldn’t go so far as to try to set her up with a random stranger.
Of course, she did wish she had a boyfriend, or even a close guy friend, she could take to her friend’s wedding Saturday. But she didn’t think she’d find Prince Charming in four days.
Heck, at this point she’d settle for Prince Just-Okay.
She was a bridesmaid in her childhood friend Chloe Vander’s wedding. Chloe had gone to college but had ended up getting engaged to her high school boyfriend Tommy. The couple wasn’t staying in Cabot’s Mill, but moving to Georgia for his job after the wedding. She’d miss Chloe, although the two weren’t as close as they’d been in high school.
Em turned her attention back to the coffee as the machine beeped. She set the ceramic cup of espresso on the counter and added milk to make it a latte, topping it with foam and a dusting of cinnamon.
“Here you go, Mr. Johns,” she said.
“Thanks, hon,” he said, smiling at her from over his laptop as she set the mug on the coffee table.
She returned to the counter and cleaned up.
“You look like you’re really thinking hard about something,” her mother, Amy, said as she joined her.
“The wedding.”
“Ah. Need me to help you find a date?” Amy looked out at the shop patrons, and Emberly stifled a sigh.
“No thanks. I’m trusting fate.”
“Since when?” Amy turned to her, leaning her hip against the counter.
“Since I figured out that none of the available men in town are my soul mate. I have to believe that somewhere out there is the guy for me, and I’ll meet him when the time is right.”
“I think you just don’t want your mom to set you up,” Em’s dad, Chris, said with a wink as he joined them with a tray of dirty dishes.
